Exports up by 4.5 percent in February

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© Hollandse Hoogte / Peter Hilz
In February 2021, the total volume of goods exports was up by 4.5 percent year-on-year, as reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This is the highest growth since 2020. The increase was mainly seen in exports of machinery and chemical products. The volume of imports in February was up by 5.8 percent year-on-year.

The CBS Exports Radar indicates that circumstances for exports are more favourable in April than they were in February.

Exports of goods (volume, adjusted for working days)
Year Month%-change (year-on-year %-change)
2017March8.3
2017April0.7
2017May4.6
2017June10.7
2017July7.1
2017August7.3
2017September7.9
2017October7
2017November7.1
2017December6.2
2018January4.8
2018February4.3
2018March3.1
2018April6.2
2018May5.3
2018June0.4
2018July2.7
2018August4
2018September3
2018October3.4
2018November0.4
2018December0.6
2019January2.2
2019February-0.3
2019March1.5
2019April1.7
2019May-0.1
2019June0.7
2019July-0.1
2019August3.4
2019September1.4
2019October6.3
2019November2.3
2019December4.5
2020January3.2
2020February1
2020March-4.7
2020April-12.7
2020May-11.6
2020June-2.9
2020July0
2020August-3.4
2020September0.8
2020October2.7
2020November1.3
2020December-0.8
2021January3.7
2021February4.5

Conditions for exports more favourable in April

Every month, CBS also publishes updates on the circumstances for exports in the Exports Radar. Conditions are largely determined by developments on the main export markets for Dutch domestic products and in the competitive position of the Netherlands. Although the Radar indicators show a strong correlation with export activity, improved circumstances are not necessarily translated into increased export growth.

According to the CBS Exports Radar, circumstances for exports in April are more favourable than in February. This is mainly because the increase in the real effective exchange rate was less substantial. Furthermore, producer confidence in both Germany and the eurozone increased again and Dutch and European manufacturers were less pessimistic about their foreign orders.

Goods exports account for approximately three-quarters of total exports. As for data on exports of services, these are not published monthly. Data on total exports are published quarterly and annually. Figures published in this news release are provisional and subject to revision.